Does corruption have to be illegal?

First there was Jeopardy. Then Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud. And now, there’s everyone’s new favorite game show: “Is It Corruption?”

In a recent Daily News column, It’s Our Money’s Ben Waxman tried to figure out how much corruption costs the city. To do so, he had to define “corruption.” He went with the “direct theft” of public dollars and other violations of the law that rip off taxpayers.

But is that the full scope of corruption? Certainly a councilman taking a bribe is corrupt. But what about an official who (legally) hires her son to work in her office, even though he’s not the most qualified candidate? What about a politician who changes his position after receiving a campaign donation from a special interest group?

On this week’s It’s Our Money podcast, Doron Taussig challenges Ben to test out these scenarios — in game show form.

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